Predictive Diagnostics
Partial Discharge Testing
for Switchgear
Protecting Critical Assets
Electrical systems are among the
most valuable assets in your plant and
can have the biggest impact on your
bottom line. Their production and
management costs are high,
and failures almost always lead to
catastrophic losses. Electrical systems
are being operated at higher levels,
even while systems are aging—which
affects both the life and the reliability
of the assets.
Today’s asset managers are facing the
increased challenge of maximizing
their aging electrical infrastructure
with fewer qualified technical in-house
resources, stricter regulatory requirements for worker safety, and shrinking
maintenance budgets.
Advances in technology, including the
use of Partial Discharge Testing, are
giving asset managers new approaches
to achieve improved reliability and performance of critical electrical assets.
Benefits
n Performed online without
disrupting process operations—
offline for commissioning new
gear
n Non-destructive, non-invasive
predictive maintenance tools
n Optimizes capital expenditures
and improves system reliability
n Helps eliminate unplanned
outages and lost profit as a result
of system downtime
Assess the condition of your critical electrical assets with
Emerson’s Partial Discharge Testing Services
Partial discharges are small electrical sparks that occur within the insulation or on
the surface of the insulation of medium and high voltage electrical assets. Each
discrete partial discharge is the result of an electrical breakdown of a small portion
of the insulation surface or an air pocket within the insulation. Partial Discharge
can occur on the surface of insulators or within voids, gaps and similar defects in
medium voltage switchgear. If allowed to continue, partial discharge will erode the
insulation, resulting in tracking or a tree-shaped pattern of deterioration (electrical
tree) and eventually result in complete breakdown and failure of the switchgear.
Such failures cause unplanned power outages, loss of plant production, equipment
damage, and/or personnel injury. Data obtained through Partial Discharge testing
and monitoring can provide critical information regarding the quality of insulation
and its impact on system health. By detecting and trending partial discharge, it is
possible to observe its development over time in order to assist asset managers with
strategic decisions regarding the repair or replacement of the asset—prioritizing
capital and MRO investments before an unexpected outage occurs.
 Permanently mounted sensors for “hard to access areas” or areas
that pose a safety concern.
 Short-term continuous monitoring for those areas that require
monitoring under load for an extended period of time.
 Permanent continuous monitoring systems for the most critical
assets in your system—including those that are nearing the end
of their useful life, or have demonstrated high levels of partial
discharge through other testing methods.
Ultrasonics
All electrical equipment produces a broad range of sound. The basic
electrical problems that produce distinct ultrasound waves that can be
detected by Ultrasonic Testing include partial discharge, corona and
tracking. Ultrasonic measurement is most powerful on a comparative
basis and will significantly increase the reliability of correct detection of
partial discharge when used with other Emerson online partial discharge
testing technologies.
Offline Partial Discharge Testing
Integrated Partial Discharge Solutions for Switchgear
Emerson’s Integrated Partial Discharge Testing and Monitoring
Solutions include both online and offline testing, and periodic and
continuous monitoring of your switchgear. Depending on your specific
operating requirements and application, Emerson can customize a
program that best fits your needs. Choose from the following:
•Online Partial Discharge Testing
- Handheld Survey
- Periodic Partial Discharge Testing
- Continuous Online Monitoring
•Ultrasonics
• Offline Partial Discharge Testing
• Tan Delta
•Very Low Frequency Testing (VLF)
Online Partial Discharge Testing
Emerson’s Online Partial Discharge Testing is performed online
without disrupting plant or facility operations. This non-destructive,
non-invasive predictive maintenance tool assesses the condition of
switchgear, feeder cables, and bus duct to provide critical information
regarding the levels of partial discharge and its potential impact on
the health of the electrical asset. The cost to perform online testing
is relatively inexpensive compared with offline testing that requires
interruption of service and production. For critical facilities that
operate 24x7, online testing is considered the single best option for
detecting insulation condition. Emerson can also provide the following
online testing and monitoring solutions for switchgear:
Offline Partial Discharge Testing is often used to commission new gear
prior to energization as a final quality control check and to obtain baseline
measurements prior to being placed in service. When systems are already
in service and de-energization is preferred, Emerson can conduct offline
testing as part of your predictive maintenance program.
Measuring Method
Partial Discharge testing can be conducted on medium voltage
switchgear with a voltage range of 3.3kV to 36kV and is suitable for
both solid insulated switchgear (SIS) and air-insulated switchgear (AIS).
Emerson conducts periodic partial discharge testing using a PD Surveyor
and a Portable PD test unit with non-invasive sensors. The PD Surveyor
is the first multi-purpose handheld device able to conduct the initial
pre-screen to identify the critical equipment for testing. Typically only 5
to 10% of medium and high voltage assets will have significant levels of
PD activity. This pre-screening will provide the required data to develop
an overall test plan that ensures focus on the right assets, minimizing
unnecessary spending. The pre-screen also provides a safety check prior
to opening panels or performing work.
Once the assets are prioritized, Emerson’s test engineers conduct the
periodic PD measurements using non-invasive, PD sensors including
Transient Earth Voltage (TEV) sensors and High Frequency Current
Transformer (HFCT) sensors. The TEV sensor is an external coupling
capacitor that is magnetically attached to the outside of the switchgear
panel and acts as a capacitive coupler to detect partial discharge pulses
flowing out of the switchgear and onto the grounded metal surface.
Alongside the TEV sensor, a calibrated, split-core High Frequency Current
Transformer (HFCT) sensor is connected on the ground strap of the cable
at the bottom of the switchgear and is capable of picking up both local
discharge from the switchgear and partial discharge pulses coming from
the cable. The utilization of both sensors together significantly increases
the reliability of correct detection of partial discharge levels.
Online Partial Discharge Testing
is such a valuable tool...How
often do you have the opportunity
to discover potential problems
under normal circumstances?
Fortunately, we found an issue with
the installation before the system
”
was turned back on and avoided
future system failure and potential
safety concerns.
—Rick Schmudde, Senior Electrical Engineer
HDR Engineering
Problem Identification
Using our Integrated Partial Discharge Testing and Monitoring
Solutions, our test engineers can identify:
•Surface Tracking
•Corona
• Partial discharges within insulators and insulating components
• Defective insulation in cable terminations
• Surface contamination or moisture
•Defective potential transformers and current transformers
• Defects in circuit breaker insulation structure
the noise pulses have been separated, Emerson’s test engineers identify
the presence of partial discharges in the switchgear based on magnitude
and number of PD pulses per power cycle. By applying Time of Flight
(TOF) analysis and by placing the TEV sensors at different points on the
switchgear panel, Emerson’s test engineers are also able to identify the
location of the PD within the switchgear.
Air Insulation Switchgear (AIS)
db Level
MV Level
Condition and Action
<10 db
< 1 mV
Discharge within acceptable limits
10 db - 15 db
1 mV - 6 mV
Some concern, monitoring
recommended
15 db - 30 db
6 mV - 32 mV
Some concern, regular monitoring
recommended
>30 db
> 32 mV
Major concern, located PD and
should repair or replace
Innovative Technology
When testing for partial discharge, the biggest challenge is identifying
the source of the signals and separating harmful partial discharge
pulses from all the other sources of electrical noise that are present
during testing. Partial discharge found in voids and cavities in
insulation systems produce very fast pulses with typical widths of a few
tenths or hundredths of a picosecond at the source of the discharge.
Switchgear PD pulses, for example, are characterized by very fast rise
times and a pulse width of a few tenths of a nanosecond. Cable PD
pulses, on the other hand, are unique to the switchgear PD pulses in
both shape and frequency content. Emerson’s innovative technology is
the most advanced on the market today and includes a built-in RF noise
reduction function that separates these pulses into PD type (cable PD
and switchgear PD) while automatically sorting out electrical “noise”
pulses using a single frequency spectral subtraction process. Once
PD Tolerance Levels for Switchgear
Partial Discharge Testing
for Switchgear
Predictive Diagnostics
Report of Findings
Maximize Uptime
Upon completion of the data collection and analysis, we will provide a
written engineering report containing detailed information about the
test results, the condition of your switchgear, recommendations for
prioritizing replacement, additional testing, or corrective actions, and a
proposed follow-up testing schedule. Each cubicle tested will be rated
green, yellow, orange, or red and a recommended action will
be provided. The measured PD magnitude will also be documented for
trending purposes.
Partial discharge testing plays a critical role in determining the health of
your electrical assets and ensuring maximum uptime. Partial discharge
testing provides asset managers with the critical information to target
maintenance resources to the areas that require the most attention.
Ordering Information
Emerson—Your Partner in Reliability
To learn more about this service
and other Emerson Network Power
solutions, please contact your local
Electrical Reliability Services sales
representative office or visit us on the
web at: www.electricalreliability.com.
In the U.S., call 1-877-468-6384.
From installation to operation, only Emerson has the knowledge and
experience to seamlessly integrate all the essential services to deliver
“high nines” reliability required by today’s critical facilities. Look to us
as your partner. We’ll be with you every step of the way with the right
combination of technology, people, and services. Contact Emerson to
realize the true potential of your assets.
Emerson Network Power.
The global leader in enabling
Business-Critical Continuity™.
Emerson Network Power
Electrical Reliability Services
1-877-468-6384
www.electricalreliability.com
EmersonNetworkPower.com
Depending on your specific operating requirements and application,
Emerson can help you develop and implement the right combination of
technology, online or offline, to meet your maintenance requirements.
Improve operational efficiency and worker safety by working with the
experts at Emerson.
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